THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRA CRUSTULENTA (PALLAS) 257
Canton Porcelain Factory" in High Street, Stratford, now—but
not then—in the County Borough of West Ham.
The principal proprietors of this factory were Weatherby and
Crowther, who were practical potters, and who had previously
been in business together, as such, at St. Catherine's, near the
Tower of London. Also Alderman George Arnold, Master of The
Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, and President of St.
Thomas's Hospital, who in 1749 subscribed much of the capital
needed for the erection of the new porcelain factory.
Owing to ill-health, Thomas Frye retired in 1759. He died in
1762, as also did Weatherby. Arnold had already 'passed away'
in 1751. Thus, Crowther was left in sole possession. In 1764 he
was bankrupt, though only in respect of the warehouse and show-
rooms which had been opened earlier in Cornhill, London.
Apparently the factory was not affected by Crowther's bank-
ruptcy. There he continued to work 'on his own account',
struggling against strong competition from Derby & Worcester,
and to some extent from nearby Chelsea; whilst from 1768 to
1774 he had further opposition from the hard-paste factories,
newly opened by Cookworthy in Plymouth and Bristol. In 1776,
Crowther sold-out 'lock, stock and barrel' to William Duesbury
who removed the assets of the Stratford concern, including
stock-in-hand, moulds, tools and other plant to Derby. From
that date the production of Bow porcelain was entirely discon-
tinued. The peak period of its success was circa 1753, when it is
said that the New Canton factory employed no less than 300
workpeople, and that its sales turnover totalled slightly more
than £18,000 per annum. In this connection the following
advertisement which appeared in Aris's Birmingham Gazette,
in November 1753, is interesting: "This is to give notice to all
painters in the blue and white potting way and enamellers on
china ware, that by applying at the counting-house at the China-
House near Bow, they may meet with employment and proper
encouragement according to their merit. N.B.—At the same
house a person is wanted who can model small figures in clay
neatly".
There is an interesting entry in the Overseers' accounts for the
Stratford Ward of the parish of West Ham in 1749, reading
"Alderman Arnold & Co.", followed in 1750 by this entry, "Messrs
Porcelain & Compy". In 1751 is the more precise entry of "Fry
& Company".
It has been stated that Bow concentrated its energies mainly
on the manufacture of the domestic and utilitarian wares, and
made but few Figures, Vases and purely decorative articles. For
this statement there is no justification whatever. Bow, in common
with all its contemporaries, did of course make Tea and Coffee
Services, Dinner and Dessert Services, Jugs, Mugs, Tankards and
every variety of domestic china; but unlike some of its competitors
—e.g. Worcester which made less than a dozen different orna-
mental Figures—one of Bow's greatest specialities was that of